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Pennsylvania’s five former governors are calling for the state to end its generations-old practice of limiting participation in primary elections to Republicans and Democrats.
In a letter, Govs. Tom Ridge, Mark Schweiker, Ed Rendell, Tom Corbett and Tom Wolf call for having Pennsylvania join the 43 other states that allow independent and third-party voters to have a voice in the major party nomination process.
“Nothing is more fundamental to our democratic republic than the right to vote,” the bipartisan group of governors stated in their letter. “Over the years, people have marched, protested, petitioned their elected officials, and even laid down their lives to make sure that voting is free, fair and secure for all citizens.
They go on to point out 74% of Pennsylvania voters favor open primaries with strong majorities from across the political spectrum holding that position, according to poll results from BallotPa, which opposes closed primaries. That is higher than the most recent findings on this issue from a May 2022 Franklin & Marshall College Poll where 64% strongly or somewhat favored open primaries.
The only other states that have closed primaries are Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Nevada, New Mexico and New York, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The governors said in their letter opening primary election will build both political parties, which have seen dramatic declines over the past 20 years while the number of independent voters are the fastest growing segment of the voting population.
In Pennsylvania, 1.2 million voters are registered as independent or to third parties, according to the latest Department of State statistics.
Bipartisan-backed legislation sits in the Senate State Government Committee while in the House, separate bills seeking open primaries have been introduced by a Republican and Democratic lawmakers that awaits action in that chamber’s state government committee.
Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie County, who along with Democratic Sen. Lisa Boscola of Lehigh/Northampton counties, are sponsoring the Senate bill, welcomed the former governors’ support.
“When both the Republican and the Democratic former statewide party chairmen support my bill and literally every living governor who has seen our state government at the highest levels, the dysfunction that is within it, all supporting my bill, I think it speaks volumes that we need to get this done,” Laughlin said.
Laughlin and Boscola’s bill sits in the committee chaired by Sen. Cris Dush, R-Jefferson County, who has publicly stated his opposition to the idea of open primaries and said he has no intention of bringing it up for a vote.
Comparing the idea of open primaries to pro football teams, Dush said, “It’s like having the Baltimore Ravens be involved with the draft of the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
But the former governors maintain it’s a matter of fairness.
“As taxpayers, these independent voters help pay the roughly $50 million it costs to run a primary election — and yet they are denied the right to cast a vote. This is surely taxation without representation,” they said.
They also point out that half of all veterans identify as independents. “How can we ask them to put their lives on the line for our country but deny them their right to vote when they come home?” the letter states. “We are proud to join together in our support for repealing closed primaries. It’s the right thing and the smart thing to do.”
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